I love eating food you can pick up with your hands. Especially since I’m eating one-handed a lot of the time, with Bubs in tow cradled in the other arm! It’s just so easy and fun too. I like the direct connection with the food. Utensil-free! Who needs forks?
Well I have a great new, easy and delish recipe that you can add to your “pick up” recipe arsenal: my Tempeh Gyro Lettuce Wraps With Organic Tofu Tzatziki.
It’s also lighter because it’s a lettuce wrap, so will help keep you slim and trim for summer. The tempeh is full of protein and makes it filling. Let’s talk more about that right now…
What’s So Great About Tempeh?
Most importantly, tempeh is a whole food. It’s produced with significantly less processing than grocery store soy milks, tofu or soy burgers. Tempeh is super high in protein, making it a great plant-based protein.
Because tempeh is fermented, the fermentation process increases the digestibility of soy (this is especially true when it comes to its proteins). Fermentation also increases nutrient absorption from soy and the concentration of bio-active peptides (these are formed during the breakdown of soy proteins during fermentation).
Tempeh is a food made from bean curd, or soybeans. What?!! Now wait a minute…while this may be true, it can be woven into human food traditions in a way that is natural, inexpensive, and nourishing.
You may have read about certain health risks from consuming soy, but it’s believed that a significant amount of these possible health risks involve consumption of soy in a highly processed form, rather than a whole food form. The good news is, tempeh is viewed as a form of soy that is closer to soy in its whole food form. I
Of course, it’s key that you get organic, non-GMO tempeh. As I discuss in my Beauty Detox books, the fermented forms of soy, which include miso and natto, besides tempeh, digest well in general for those without a soy allergy, and can definitely be worked into your menu rotation. I eat tempeh weekly myself and feel great!
If you’re interested in learning more about this protein I did come across this website that not only provides loads of history (including the history of fermented soy foods), but also provides research references too. Check it out if you are interested in more details.
You’re sure to love this Tzatzik sauce so much so that you’ll find yourself using it for other snacks and dishes. So what are we waiting for? Let’s get to it! ;)
Prepare your ingredients.
Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade in a shallow dish.
Whisk to combine.
Add the tempeh slices and marinate for a couple of hours or overnight, turning the pieces of tempeh now and again (ie once in a while, when you remember!).
To make the tzatziki, combine all of the ingredients (except for the cucumber) in a food processor.
Process until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a container or bowl, and stir in the diced cucumber. Store in the refrigerator to marinate for a couple of hours.
When ready to eat, heat a skillet and add a splash or two of vegetable broth. Brown the tempeh on both sides, adding a little more broth or water as necessary.
Add to the lettuce wraps, add the Kalamata olives, red onion and parsley, and a generous drizzle of the tzatziki…and enjoy!
Again, tempeh is an excellent source of plant-based protein, adds extra substance to veggie dishes, is already cooked and is easy to prepare. You can do just about anything with this amazing protein, but I love to throw it into stir-fries and add into easy wraps, such as in this recipe. Hope you love it too! :)
Check out this tasty recipe below…
Tempeh Gyro Lettuce Wraps With Organic Tofu Tzatzik Recipe
Ingredients
- Tempeh Marinade:
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried onion flakes
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp. organic low sodium tamari or Braggs Liquid Aminos
- 1 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbs. lemon juice
- 8 oz. tempeh sliced ~1/4″ thick
- Tofu Tzatziki:
- 1 1/4 cup silken organic tofu
- 4 Tbs. lemon juice
- 1 Tbs. mined garlic
- 1 tsp. dried onion flakes
- 1 tbsp. vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp. dill weed
- ¼-½ tsp. Salt to taste
- ½ tsp pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cup peeled and diced cucumber 1 large cucumber
- Butter lettuce leaves or romaine lettuce hearts
- 1/3 cup Kalamatta olives de-pitted and chopped
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup parsley chopped
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade in a shallow dish and whisk to combine. Add the tempeh slices and marinate for a couple of hours or overnight, turning the pieces of tempeh now and again.
- To make the tzatziki, combine all of the ingredients (except for the cucumber) in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour the mixture into a container or bowl, and stir in the diced cucumber. Store in the refrigerator to marinate for a couple of hours.
- When ready to eat, heat a skillet and add a splash or two of vegetable broth. Brown the tempeh on both sides, adding a little more broth or water as necessary. Add to the lettuce wraps, and add the Kalamata olives, red onion and parsley, and a generous drizzle of the tzatziki.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was on Instagram!
Let me know how you like this recipe!
Take good care of yourself and see you soon.
Sending you lots of love,
Kimberly
Hallo I would like to ask you if you advice to use coconut animos as substitute for tamari if no why?
I havent seen in any of your recipes
Hi Michaela and thanks for checking out my new recipe. You can certainly use coconut aminos instead of tamari. Just check for taste and adjust amounts, if necessary. Let us know how it goes. Sending lots of love! ;)
Thank you I do have problem to find coconut aminos so it is easy to go with tamari just I wasnt sure if it is ok to use it daily for health reason :-)
Thanks a lot love your son
Kimberly this looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it! Thank you! :) <3
We made this for dinner last night and they were AMAZING! I ate a million of them. Even my kids were into them. Thanks for the awesome recipe, we will be making this again.
Greetings kimberly
I read a previous post where you spoke about the negative effects of tofu.
Lately, I’ve been eating it consistently. It’s very easy for me to eat organic baked tofu in the car when I’m running around for hours.
Lastly, can I enjoy tofu with acorn squash? How would I pair for best beauty results?
Love
Hi Bernadette and thanks for checking out my recipe. Here is a blog I wrote about Food Pairing (https://bit.ly/2arQZwA), which has a great infographic to use when wondering how to pair our foods. Since tofu is a protein, it’s best paired with vegetables. Check out the infographic and let me know what you think. Sending lots of love! ;)
Hi Kimberly,
This relates a little to the previous comment. In your book “The Beauty Detox Solution” you talk about the how tofu should be avoided due to the way it is processed. I am just curious, how come this recipe contains it in the Tzatziki? Is it ok in moderation or something?
Thanks so much!
Hillary